House 'jobs agenda' in the eye of the beholder

A recurring theme in today's House debate was whether House Republicans are pursuing an effective "jobs agenda," and as might be expected, the two parties disagree.

Democrats today hammered away on this point in the run up to a vote on legislation aimed at getting the United Nations to repay the U.S. $179 million in unused funds. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) said that bill and others Republicans are pushing in the House are doing nothing to promote job growth.

Rep. Robert Andrews (D-N.J.) made the same point, and said the UN bill came up at a time when 15 million Americans are still unemployed.

"And yet we're passing up yet another opportunity to work together to try to create jobs in our country," he said. "And what are we doing? We're passing a spending reduction bill that the Congressional Budget Office says doesn't have any impact on the budget at all. We should be doing a jobs bill."

Republicans continue to insist that it is pursuing a jobs agenda that does not call for massive spending bills, and instead relies on scaling back government and giving companies a break from government regulation.

"Republicans are continuing to be focused on creating an environment that will get economic activity moving in America and help create jobs," House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said today. "This week, we’ll take several more steps keeping our pledge to the American people."

Boehner included in those steps a pending resolution that asks House Committees to look for "job-killing regulations," and a budget bill released on Thursday that cuts spending.

Republicans today also charged that Democratic visions of a jobs bill all involve spending more money. "In other words: without more of the same failed 'stimulus spending,' tax hikes, and mandates on job creators, Democrats don't have a plan to address our record deficits and sky-high unemployment rate," House Republicans said in a statement.